Last month Cameron Rowe was out for a duck playing third grade cricket in Christchurch.

But now he finds himself debuting for the Manawatu representative side this weekend against Wanganui after scoring a ton and a half century for United upon returning home to Palmerston North.

Rowe comes into the batting order for their two-day Hawke Cup game at Fitzherbert Park tomorrow in one of four changes to the Manawatu side.

The 19-year-old has been living in Christchurch, studying at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, and playing for the Burnside Cricket Club.

He never thought he would be picked for Manawatu, but scoring runs for United in the last round of the one-day competition and the semifinal before Christmas helped his cause.

"I got 113 and 61 so that was quite good," he said. "I've been playing in Christchurch and I got a duck the week before."

Having gone from playing for Palmerston North Boys' High School last summer, he said it was different playing against them when he got his century.

"Having played with those guys, all the coaches could say was ‘why couldn't you score runs for us instead of against us?' I had Jake [Oram] at the other end and he was pumping it, I didn't have to do much.

"I kept swinging and it kept coming off. Against Marist it was good to get back against some better quality players instead of the third grade guys."

Rowe is working on his parents' dairy farm in Rongotea for the summer before returning to Christchurch.

He will bat in the middle order against Wanganui and may send down a few off-spinners, although he may not need to with a green deck looking likely.

Manawatu are without pace bowler Bevan Small with Central Districts, both Arana Noema-Barnett and Navin Patel is with the CD under-19s and Avinash Sharma is back in Auckland.

Coach Mike Mason will strap on the boots and join the bowling attack, while Bryn Templeman joins him there.

Old Boys all-rounder Robbie Yule, who also scored a pre-Christmas club century, also comes in to the side.

Wanganui may struggle against the zone two leaders as player-coach Dominic Rayner said they have lost every game and admitted this weekend will be even harder.

They will be without Ben Smith who is playing for Central Districts, while Henry Collier and Nick Blundell are with the Central Districts under-19 team and Brett Cameron with the CD under-17s.